Travelin' Soldier
by VanillaRose
Summary: Karl met a girl when he was younger and before Van,Prozen,and them.He is still in touch with her when they are fighting against the Deathstinger.What if it went a different way and Van was to late and some one got hurt?Songfic,'Travelin Soldier.'


I just had to do something like this as soon as I heard the song! I love that song! I know this didn't happen. Atleast I don't think it did, I haven't seen the last three episodes. Well, here ya go. The song is 'Travelin Soldier' by Dixie Chicks. Actually I think someone sung it before them, but I'm not sure . . . Story starts after the first set of lyrics.  
  
~*~ = Lyrics  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ZOIDS or 'Travelin Soldier'  
  
Travelin Soldier  
  
~  
  
~*~  
  
Two days past eighteen  
  
He was waitin for the bus in his army greens  
  
Sat down in a booth at a café there  
  
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair  
  
He's a little shy so she gave him a smile  
  
And he said 'Would you mind sittin down for a while  
  
And talkin to me, I'm feelin a little low'  
  
She said 'I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go'  
  
~*~  
  
A younger Karl walked across the street to a small café. It was almost the cleanest looking one on the block. He walked in and sat down in a window seat. Through the window Karl could see people hustling and bustling trying to get somewhere. It was a busy little town considering how little it was. Karl looked over at the young lady that had just come to serve him.  
  
She had light brown eyes and light shiny red hair. She was lightly tanned and tall, almost as tall as him. She smiled.  
  
"What would you like?" The woman asked.  
  
She had a sweet voice Karl noted.  
  
"Just a cup of coffee." Karl said.  
  
"M'kay." The girl said and winked at him as she went to get his coffee.  
  
She was soon back and gave him his cup of coffee. She reached over and grabbed a few sugars for him because the table he was at lacked sugar. Karl nodded gratefully and looked at the nametag on her shirt.  
  
"Thankyou, Melissa." Karl said.  
  
"No problem." Melissa walked off.  
  
~*~  
  
So they went down and they sat on the pier  
  
He said 'I bet you gotta boyfriend but I don't care  
  
I've got no one to send a letter to  
  
Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?  
  
~*~  
  
He drank that cup and another before he asked for his check. Melissa walked up to him and handed him the piece of paper. Karl took it, but stopped her from walking off. He thought of what to say for a few seconds. When he remembered seconds might count and that she might think he was weird he opened his mouth to speak.  
  
"I'm here for a while, do you think we could maybe meet somewhere and talk?" Karl asked.  
  
"I'm off in and hour and I know where we can go." Melissa smiled at him.  
  
Karl walked up to the register behind her so he could pay. And hour later Melissa came to greet him outside of the shop in her regular clothes; a pair of worn jeans and a t-shirt with a black peace frog on the back. (A frog with his hand in the air making a peace sign)  
  
They walked down by the ocean and she led him to the dock. There weren't very many people there, but the ones that were, were either fishing, crabbing, or doing something on the boats or water ZOIDS. An elderly man waved out to Melissa, who smiled and waved back.  
  
"That's my uncle." She told Karl when she turned back to look at him.  
  
The man smiled and shook his head as he went back to sorting the crabs out. They sat down at the end and looked at the waves.  
  
"So, you're a soldier?" Melissa said, eyeing his attire. (I believe that means clothes -.-".)  
  
"Yes, for the Empire." Karl told her. Melissa nodded.  
  
"Is this your hometown?" Karl asked her.  
  
"Yep, I've lived here all seventeen years of my life." Melissa said.  
  
Then she added, "I'm surprised I haven't been banned yet, I've gotten into some trouble."  
  
"Really?" Karl raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I guess I really shouldn't be telling this to a man with your job, now should I?"  
  
"I don't believe so . . . but I don't know why I'd turn you in? I haven't seen a thing." Karl smirked.  
  
Karl spied his brother running toward him.  
  
"I have to go, can I see you tomorrow?" Karl asked.  
  
"I'm off at the same time." Melissa agreed.  
  
"Bye Melissa." Karl started to walk off.  
  
"Oh, and call me Mel!" She called after him.  
  
~*~  
  
I cried  
  
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy  
  
Too young for him they told her  
  
Waitin for the love of a travelin soldier  
  
Our love will never end  
  
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again  
  
Never gonna be alone  
  
When the letter says a soldier's coming home  
  
~*~  
  
Karl came into the café about thirty minutes before she was off so he could get a fancy drink. Something he couldn't get when he was at the training camps. Melissa walked up to him and took his order. When she came back she brought one for herself and sat down with him. Karl looked at her a little surprised.  
  
"Don't you have to work?" Karl asked.  
  
"It's a slow day, if anyone comes in I can always get up, right?" She smiled.  
  
Karl smiled back and took a sip of his drink. They started to talk about the military. Karl came to find out that her father was Krueger (For some reason I really don't think I spelt that right.) and she knew quite a bit about the military. But, she didn't know the more secret things. Karl talked about his family, mostly Thomas and how he never thought he did a good job at anything when he was really better than most in electronics.  
  
"He sounds like a nice guy." Melissa stated.  
  
"Nicer than me?" Karl kidded.  
  
"Well, I don't know about that . . . " Melissa giggled.  
  
"I have to go tomorrow. Do you think I can send you letters because I have no one else to talk to." Karl asked.  
  
"You just told me about your family." Melissa said.  
  
"Yeah, I do, but I'm starting to think of you as a very close and I wouldn't want to loose touch."  
  
Melissa looked at him for a moment.  
  
"1253 Lanstiken street." Melissa said.  
  
"You lost me." Karl looked up at her as she stood.  
  
"My number." Melissa smiled and started to walk off.  
  
~*~  
  
So the letters came  
  
From an army camp in California then Vietnam  
  
And he told her of his heart  
  
It might be love  
  
And all of the things he was so scared of  
  
Said when it's getting kinda rough over here  
  
I think about that day sittin down at the pier  
  
And close my eyes and see your pretty smile  
  
Don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while  
  
~*~  
  
Melissa walked into her house looking through her mail. She found what she was looking for. That was one from Karl. It had been more than a few years and they never lost touch, he even came over when he was close enough to the town.  
  
The letters had been few and far between though. She could understand because he had to deal with all of the chaos Raven, Hiltz, and Reese were causing. She sighed as she sat down. She opened the letter, trying not to tear any of the edges so she could put it back into the envelope.  
  
'Dear Mel,  
  
Sorry I haven't written for a while. Things have been crazy up here with Irvine's command wolf being destroyed and then Van- and maybe I just shouldn't get into it. I hope you're feeling better now. Actually since the last time I wrote I would hope you are feeling better. If you were still sick for that long it could be something serious. How's your uncle? My brother is driving me crazy. Just like him. He wants to know what these letters are about and if they are from. In his words 'the girl who I saw you sitting on the pier with.' I told him your name was Melissa, but you liked to be called Mel, but either he can't remember or wasn't listening. If you can't tell I'm grinning to myself now. There's really nothing for me to tell you about. So you aren't a waitress any more? Where are you working now? I hope the other employee's aren't giving you a hard time. It's happened to me before. Sorry this is so short, but I have to go. Van wants me.  
  
Love,  
  
Karl S.'  
  
Melissa smiled. She slid the letter back into the envelope and walked into her room. She twisted the lock and opened and medium-sized box. In it was a fair amount of letters-all from Karl. She placed the one she just read onto the top of one of the stacks. She then sat down at her stand and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.  
  
'Dear Karl,  
  
I feel just fine now. Thankyou for worrying. If you can't tell right now I'm smiling and I was smiling when I read your letter. Uncle Rob is doing just fine. The crabs are great this month. He's getting enough money to pay the rent without my help. Haha. Yeah, now I'm working at a fancy restaurant down by the bay. At first all they made me do was wash dishes, but when I got settled in they made me a waitress, cashier, and I can even help cook the food sometimes. The people I work with are really nice. This one girl, Sally, she's really sweet. When I was first there she was working and I broke a few of the dishes by accident. She said that it was she and really saved my job. She must be a good worker or something because the manager didn't even get mad. Now she's a really good friend. She's going out with Cole. Remember him? He works for Uncle Rob. Your brother can't be driving you 'that' crazy, can he? I certainly hope not. It's okay if he doesn't remember my name, but I hope he gets out of 'the girl on the pier' soon. I have to go now. The only bad thing about that job is that it has late hours. Goodbye, Karl.  
  
Love,  
  
  
  
Mel  
  
~*~  
  
I cried  
  
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy  
  
Too young for him they told her  
  
Waitin' for the love of a travelin soldier  
  
Our love will never end  
  
Waitin for the soldier to come back again  
  
Never gonna be alone  
  
When the letter says a soldier's comin home  
  
~*~  
  
Karl opened the letter he had just got. He smiled as he read the top two lines. As he read through it his smile got bigger.  
  
"Karl, what are you so happy about?" Irvine asked as he sat down with a cup of coffee.  
  
"Nothing, absolutely nothing." Karl told him, but secretly knew that Mel was certainly not 'nothing.' He walked by Irvine to his room. He was going to write a response, but Thomas stopped him.  
  
"What do you want, Thomas?" Karl asked.  
  
"Ohhhhh, what's the letter?" Thomas reached out to grab it.  
  
Karl swung his arm and the letter out of reach.  
  
"That is no way to treat your superior officers." Karl pointed out.  
  
Thomas's eyes got big for a minute when he noticed that he was put to shame again. Then he straightened up and just stood there, waiting to be dismissed.  
  
"And that's no way to act around your brother." Karl said.  
  
Karl started to walk to his room again. Thomas stared at the space where he was for a little.  
  
"Then how -am- I suppose to act?" He asked Karl, but Karl was already in his room.  
  
Then Thomas remembered what he was sent to do. He walked back over to his brother's room and knocked on the door. Karl opened it.  
  
"Van says we're moving out in about half a day, so get your ZOID ready."  
  
Karl looked at the letter then back at Thomas. Unfortunately, Melissa would have to a wait a little bit longer than expected.  
  
~*~  
  
One Friday night at a football game  
  
The Lord's prayer said and the anthem sang  
  
A man said 'Folks would you bow your heads  
  
For a list of local Vietnam dead'  
  
Cryin' all alone under the stands  
  
Was the piccolo player in the marching band  
  
And one name read and nobody really cared  
  
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair  
  
~*~  
  
Karl stared at the great orb at the end of the Deathstinger's tail in horror. Where was Van? Karl was stuck in a ZOID that was out of commission. Van came around the corner at what looked to be just in time, but it wasn't.  
  
~  
  
Melissa got another letter. She gingerly opened it like she always had. The address wasn't the same, but it was from a military base so she thought that maybe he was in a different base. But when she opened it she found out she was dead wrong. She stared at the letter in shock for what seemed like days, but were really seconds. Slowly her shock turned to sorrow as she broke down and cried.  
  
Melissa attended the football game thinking that it would get her mind off things, but it only brought more pain when she found out that they were having a short ceremony for the ones lost that had lived or been in her town. She hid under the stands and cried. A girl with short brown hair heard the crying and looked down to find that it was her friend. Sally climbed down to try and comfort her.  
  
~  
  
Melissa attended the funeral where she saw his brother and the rest of the Guardian Force. How they knew to contact her she had no clue. After his body was lowered into the ground Thomas walked up to her.  
  
"So you're the girl on the pier." Thomas said.  
  
Melissa couldn't surpress a light laugh.  
  
"Everyone calls me Mel, normally." She told him.  
  
Thomas smiled.  
  
"I found a few of the letters. That's how I knew to contact you." Thomas said.  
  
He answered one of her questions. Thomas was called by Van to hurry up. He said a short' I'm sorry and goodbye' and leapt off un-gleefully to his Dibison. Melissa stayed longer to look at the gravestone by herself. She left a rose on his gravestone. Slowly she pulled herself away.  
  
~*~  
  
I cried  
  
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy  
  
Too young for him they told her  
  
Waitin' for the love of a travelin soldier  
  
Our love will never end  
  
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again  
  
Never gonna be alone  
  
When the letter says a soldier's coming  
  
I cried  
  
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy  
  
Too young for him they told her  
  
Waitin for the love of a travelin soldier  
  
Our love will never end  
  
Waitin for the soldier to come back again  
  
Never gonna be alone  
  
When the letter says a soldier's coming home  
  
~*~  
  
Every year on the anniversary of his death she left a red rose on his grave. Seventeen years later she died in a car crash. But somehow every anniversary of his death a red rose will appear on his gravestone.  
  
~  
  
The red rose story I got from a story in Assateague. The story goes like this 'A wife's husband died and every day on their anniversary she would leave a red rose on his gravestone. She passed away and somehow red roses would still appear on his gravestone. Some people would stay there the night before the anniversary and they wouldn't fall asleep and when morning came a red rose would be sitting on the gravestone. They had sat there from before 12:00 (the beginning of the anniversary) and a few minutes after twelve a rose would appear. No one would be walking in front of him or her or anything. It would just appear.' If you didn't see anything about the red rose in the story you might have missed it because it is a short little paragraph under the last set of lyrics. I hope y'all like this. Thanks for reading and please REVIEW. If you feel it necessary flame, but atleast tell me why it sucked. Corrective criticism is very appreciated though. Cya! 


End file.
